


26/01/2019: Musical

by pop_incognito



Series: 365 Drabbles [26]
Category: Free!
Genre: Cameos, Canon Compliant, Inspired by Music, M/M, Music, Pointless, Pre-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 15:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17562920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_incognito/pseuds/pop_incognito
Summary: Haruka and Makoto explore the Hidaka campus before the school year starts. They find something inspiring in the music department.





	26/01/2019: Musical

**Author's Note:**

> Hohohoho, I forgot to post again, whoops. There's a ham-fisted OHSHC cameo from two of my favourite minor characters, so if anyone picks up on that they get a cookie. Or something. Hope you all enjoy more pointless Makoharu fluff.

“Why do we have to explore the whole campus?” Haruka asks as Makoto consults the glossy campus map he had picked up from the student information centre out the front of the building. Haruka tugs on the back of Makoto’s shirt when his boyfriend continues wondering down the hallway absently. He doesn’t want to loose Makoto on their first ever venture out into either one of their universities, and Tokyo itself. “I only need to know where the pool and cafeteria are.”

Makoto looks away from the map finally, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose as he frowns at Haruka slightly. “Haru, that isn’t true and you know it,” he scolds in that funny, motherly tone he uses on the twins. “You should always know your way around, just in case.” He points at something on the map, draws a path with his finger as he licks his lips thoughtfully. Haruka can think of about nine different, better uses for Makoto’s tongue right now. “We’re about to walk into the music department,” Makoto tells Haruka.

“I definitely don’t need to know where that is,” Haruka says bluntly, resisting the urge to cross his arms and cock his hip. He’s already promised Makoto twice that day to behave if Haruka wants to get laid that night – which unfortunately includes acting like civilised human being when out in public – so he settles instead for putting his free hand on his hip and huffing over his shoulder.

A knowing smile makes its way across Makoto’s face, and he starts walking again, using the grip that Haruka still has on his shirt to start towing Haruka onwards. “Live a little, Haru. You never know what sort of fun things you might find in a music room.”

Haruka doesn’t know why Makoto is so excited, neither of them have a single musical bone in their body outside of their extremely competitive Dance, Dance Revolution tournaments with Rei and Nagisa, and signing nursery rhymes with Ren and Ran. And although Makoto quite likes listening to music recreationally, until they invent headphones that work underwater and can stay on while Haruka is swimming, he never really gives it more than a passing fancy outside of putting the radio on while he’s cooking.

But, Haruka can never deny that bright smile currently gracing Makoto’s face.

“Fine,” Haruka relents with a sigh. He doesn’t even roll his eyes, which is a personal best effort considering this adventure involves a grand total of no water. “Let’s go look at the music department.”

There turns out to be quite a lot to look at, from a music-themed mural all the way down one wall of the department, to information posters about the various musical activities and instruments, to the open doors of practice rooms at the end of the hallway. Apparently, there’s an open exhibition on for the new music majors joining the university, where anyone can simply walk into a room and watch its occupants perform, or just stand in the hallways to listen. There’s a jazz quartet, and a girl singing the blues, a graduating student with a violin playing Mendelssohn’s ‘Meditation’ out an open window, and a full thirty-piece choir who appear to be singing a classical rendition of the original Pokémon theme song.

Makoto looks thrilled, and even Haruka cracks a genuine smile at the last one.

Light giggling reaches them from one of the rooms a little further down from the choir room, and Makoto ventures over curiously. He and Haruka stand in the doorway and watch two third years laughing and quite obviously flirting with each other as they carefully wheel two upright grand pianos back-to-back in the centre of the room. The girl is smiling as she gently teases the boy, and while she waits for him to finish setting his stool to the right height, she pulls soft brown ringlets up into a high ponytail. She spies their audience and waves at Makoto and Haruka, smiling brightly at them.

“Come on, Shiro,” she says to her partner, leaning over to poke his cheek in what is clearly a familiar gesture. “I didn’t come all the way back to Japan from Germany for you to slow me down when we have an audience.”

The boy rolls his eyes fondly. “Yes, ma’am,” he says, quite sarcastically, and makes a grand show of sitting down at the piano, settling his hands on the keys with an over-drawn flourish. “Standard showcase piece, Hina?” he asks.

“Absolutely,” Hina replies. “Mozart’s Sonata in D Major, for two pianos,” she introduces the piece to Makoto and Haruka, who both nod as if they know what she means.

It’s a lively piece, and the two play absolutely beautifully together, moving in perfect synchrony even with the pianos separating their view of each other. Makoto sways in time next to Haruka, leaning down slightly to whisper, “It’s like when we swim together, don’t you think?” he asks. “The same feeling.”

“Yeah,” Haruka replies, ever so slightly in awe. “It is.” He can almost see the little world the two are painting with their music, and it’s beautiful. Maybe he doesn’t give music enough credit sometimes. “I’ll tell you something else,” he adds after a moment, soft smile starting to turn a little mocking.

“What?” Makoto hums, setting his chin on Haruka’s shoulder.

Haruka’s grin spreads out full-force. “I can just hear Rei’s reaction to this.” They share a brief look, and put a hand over their hearts in as perfect sync as the pianists before them.

“Absolutely _beautiful_ ,” Makoto and Haruka cry quietly together, each affecting Rei’s easily mockable tone of voice when he gets worked up. They love their younger friend, truly, but he leaves himself open to their friendly teasing half the time.

They walk away at the end of the piece, applauding the two politely as they start playing their next one, more people starting to crowd around the doorway now. “Come on,” Makoto says, catching Haruka’s hand in his own. “I think I’ve tortured you with human interaction enough for now, let’s go get some food.” Haruka opens his mouth, and Makoto beats him to the punch. “Yes, you can have mackerel.”

Smiling a little smugly, Haruka threads their fingers together as they leave the music department, following Makoto’s map towards one of the cafeterias. “Do you want to go swimming this afternoon?” he asks, thumb rubbing over the back of Makoto’s hand. “When we go back to my place?”

“Sure, Haru-chan,” Makoto says, bumping their shoulders together. “I’d love to.”

Haruka grumbles over the nickname, but he doesn’t stop smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos!


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